Official Publix Coupon Policy (Hermitage, TN)

I stopped in today for my weekly Publix trip and found that they now have official written copies of their coupon policy available to customers. I picked mine up at the customer service desk. The official policy is written on the front and not much has changed from the way they have been doing things.

• They accept Publix coupons, manufacturer coupons, Internet coupons, and competitor coupons.
• They accept competitor pharmacy RX coupons.
• They do not accept % off coupons.
• Coupons much match the items you are purchasing.
• They reserve the right to limit quantities.
• For BOGO offers, each item is a separate sale (i.e. will ring up 50% off).
• You can use 1 MFG coupon + 1 Publix coupon (or competitor) per item.
• For $ off entire order coupons, you may use 1 Publix & 1 competitor coupon per transaction if your total meets the requirements.

See? Nothing new there. On the back of the policy it lists the specific competitors for this location at Oakwood Commons in Hermitage, TN. I was pleased to see Target on the official list but I was sad that GFS was not listed.

Overall, I'm just happy that we have it officially in writing and it will be standard across the board even though the competitors may vary from store to store.

Thoughts?

Vacation for a Fraction of the Cost

We are just 3 short weeks away from a little trip I like to call "School's Out For Summer." We will be spending a weekend in Chattanooga and I'm already scoring deals left and right.

Here's how you can have a fun vacation on the cheap too.

• Plan. My husband has a very laid back approach to vacationing but, in the back of his mind, he has a list of things he would like to do. I'm the exact opposite. I would be perfectly fine with a scheduled itinerary for every day of the trip. However, in order to save some money we have to meet in the middle because, typically, deals don't just fall in your lap after you show up. You gotta find them before you go.
• Hotel. Reservations are necessary to ensure you have lodging. I used Hotels.com to score a great price on a hotel that also serves complimentary breakfast. Be sure to look for those extra perks when you choose your accommodations. Also, Hotels.com has a reward program that earns you 1 FREE night for every 5 nights you stay (does not have to be consecutive).
• Dining. Hotel will have breakfast taken care of but we know that we will need at least 5 meals (2 dinners + 3 lunches) while we are at our destination. I've been following daily deal sites like Groupon & Living Social (new subscribers get $5) in my destination city, as well as Restaurant.com to find gift certificates for half price or less.
• Attractions. For this trip, we decided on 2 big things (1 each day) that we definitely wanted to see or do. I've been scouring Ebay & Craigslist for deals on those attraction tickets. So far, I've been able to save at least 50%, which is huge because these attractions are pretty pricey.
• Snacks. We are all big snackers. To save us from having to purchase these on the road, I will be packing a small cooler with food and drinks. I also plan to prepare small baggies of snacks to take with us while we are out and about each day.
• Gas. There isn't a whole lot you can do here and it always seems that gas prices rise in the summer. :( I like to take advantage of the Publix gas card coupons that will save you $10 off a $50 gift card to BP or Shell. They run these promotions about once every 4-6 weeks. I also use the Gas Buddy app on my phone to locate the cheapest gas in whatever area we are traveling. Sometimes it's worth it to go just one more exit.
• Cash Back. If I'm doing any sort of online purchase, I always go through Ebates. All of the retail links above can be shopped through Ebates where you earn a percentage back on your purchase. For example, right now, they are offering 15% cash back at Restaurant.com when you shop through their site.

A little planning really does go a long way as far as saving money on vacation. At this point, we know what attractions we are going to see and where we are going to eat but I'm leaving the WHEN up to hubby. See, I can compromise. :)

Do you feel like any of the above tips will help you save money on your summer vacation?

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Publix Coming to Donelson?

There have been a lot of rumors going around in regards to Publix coming to Donelson. In fact, these rumors pretty much started a year ago when Food Lion closed and left a big vacant space on Lebanon Road. I get asked every few weeks if I know anything about it.

Here's what I do know.

I prefer to get my information directly from the company so I contacted the Pubix real estate department last year and again recently. My emails were returned via phone call both times by Nancy who was very polite and left me very informative messages since I missed her calls.

June 2010 (from memory): We are aware of your area but we have no plans to come to that area now or in the foreseeable future. We prefer to build our own stand-alone buildings and at this time have no intentions of taking over the space to which you are referring.

April 2011 (verbatim): Hi Staci, this is Nancy calling from Publix Supermarkets here in Lakeland, Florida. I received your email in regards to the Donelson area. We do not have any final plans right now, possibly in the future, but I think it will happen but there is nothing finalized at this point. We are a little bit further than the last time I called. We will just have to wait and see if we can get any plans finalized. Hopefully in the future we can hope to serve you in the future in the area. Just wanted to give you a call back. Thank You. Bye bye.

What does this mean?

Honestly I do think we will see a Publix in Donelson but I think it's going to take some time. My understanding is that Harbor Freight and Dick's Flowers are both moving, which would vacate that entire wing of the shopping center. If Publix does come to the area, it remains to be seen whether or not they will renovate the available space or knock it down and start over. Me and the hubs actually have a friendly wager placed on this small detail. He says bulldozers are coming. :)

At this point, nothing is official. If you have received other information, feel free to comment on this post. However, I can neither confirm or deny the validity of any rumors going around. What I know is posted above.

Trust me, I want a Publix in Donelson about as bad as anybody else. Maybe even more. As Nancy said, we're just gonna have to wait this one out and see.

*Fingers Crossed*

Updated 05/06/11: Today I got a tip to check the Metro Planning Council Website. They are showing this project with final approval to overtake the current space with some sign, parking lot, and sidewalk modifications. You can view the layout map here. Details can be found in this document. This is good news. Good news indeed!